


Promotions and Pips

by mandykaysfic



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 22:08:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandykaysfic/pseuds/mandykaysfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will Riker and Kathryn Janeway do something special to celebrate graduating from the Academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Now That We Are Ensigns

**Author's Note:**

> Riker's year of birth is 2335 and Janeway's is given variously as 2328,2332, 2336 and 2344, so I figure it's not stretching it too far to say they could have attended Starfleet Academy at the same time.

“Will, congratulations on finishing eighth overall.” Kathryn Janeway made haste to congratulate her friend. She thought hid her disappointment at her own overall placement of fifteenth well, but the bright blue eyes that twinkled down into her own saw through everything. For four years they'd been friendly rivals in the classes they'd shared. He'd bested her at everything involving piloting and navigation. Her grasp of sciences had been quicker and deeper than his and she'd hoped her choice of final semester subjects would have been enough to get her into the top ten of their class, but Will Riker had sneakily completed an extra credit project he'd neglected to tell her about.

“Thanks! You didn't do so badly yourself.” He laughed softly at the moue Kathryn pulled. “You wanna go out and celebrate? It could be the last time we see each other for ages. What if you get a long deep space posting? Or me? Any of us might find we have to ship out to...I don't know...exploring the delta quadrant,” he wheedled when she hesitated. “It would be years before we got together again.” 

“I won't be going there, not on the Al-Batani.”

“The Al-Batani?”

“Yes. I got my orders this morning. Didn't you?”

“No.”

“Oh. No doubt you'll get yours soon.”

“No doubt,” echoed Will even as he wondered at his lack of notification. He threw off his concern and continued determinedly, “We'd definitely better celebrate tonight.”

“The Night Owl then? For old time's sake?” The coffee shop on Market Street was one of their favorite haunts. How many nights had they sat together, imbibing the best coffee within walking distance from the Academy as they frantically finished assignments?

“Kath-ryn, it's a celebration. We are cadets no more. I had somewhere a little classier in mind.”

She blinked at him and grinned. “You're right. Where did you have in mind?” Her eyes widened when Will named what was arguably the best restaurant in the area. “You have to book practically a year in advance to get a table there. How did you - ? I don't have anything suitable to wear.” She slapped his forearm when he burst out laughing. “Where are we really going?”

“Does the Brass Tavern meet with your approval?”

“Oh, yes.”

 

A second wine stood empty and the reminiscing grew wilder. Will stabbed a finger into the air. “And after that, he said I'd never graduate, that I'd end up as Risa's Employee of the Month instead of a Starfleet officer. Looks like I finally proved him wrong.”

Kathryn laughed; she'd fallen foul of the same professor who'd made the same prediction about her. “We both proved him wrong.” She hiccuped, and laughed again. “We should prove him even wronger. More wronger. Whatever.” She swallowed some more wine. “We're both gonna make captain. That'll show him.”

“Captain Riker. Captain William T. Riker,” pronounced Will ponderously. 

“Captain Kathryn Janeway. I love it.”

“Captain William T. Riker. By the time I'm thirty-five. I swear to you, by the time I'm thirty-five I'll be a captain.”

“Me too.”

“Thirty-five? You?” Will bit back what he was going to say and laughed again. “Yeah, if anyone else can make it that young, you can.” He was pleased to see the incipient storm fade from her features. A bright idea struck him. “We should do something to mark tonight, for tomorrow we're ensigns, the first step on the ladder to captain.”

“Not just tonight. We should do something to mark each promotion.”

“Something the same each time, to remind us.”

“Something that we get together for, as close to the actual promotion date as possible.” She and Will brainstormed as though they were completing another assignment. 

“You said it.” Will's face flushed a little more. 

“Wha? What did I say?” Kathryn hazily cast her mind back over her last few suggestions.

“We should mark each promotion. Mark it. Get it? We should get a tattoo.” He dropped his voice as though letting her in on a secret. “A tattoo for each pip. In fact, a tattoo of each pip.”

Kathryn's mouth opened but no words emerged.

Will continued excitedly, “Look, it'd be great. Just think of it; a small discreet pip. Nowhere normally visible, of course,” he added when it looked like Kathryn was going to protest. “We could get the extra pip added each time we earned it.”

“At a glance they'd look just like freckles or moles,” she said slowly.

“Come on then!”

“What! Now?”

“It will probably be the only time we can get them done together.”

Making a snap decision, Kathryn pushed back her chair. “All right, let's do it. I think there's a place near the Night Owl.” She protested briefly as Will took charge of the bill then they strolled the half a dozen blocks to the small studio, still open even at that late hour. 

“But can't you picture it? It would be right there, reminding your lover who -.”

“That's only really going to work when I'm captain,” interrupted Kathryn, as they entered the building. “Besides, I've decided where I want mine and it's not anywhere near my breasts.”

“Even though I think it's sexy?”

“Especially because you think it's sexy! Get your own there instead of on your arm.”

“I tell you what, if you make captain before I do, I will.”

Kathryn eyed Will speculatively. “All right, you're on. When I make captain before you, you have to get a tattoo there,” and she indicated a spot on his chest.

“That's not going to happen,” responded Will confidently, “but on the off chance, you're to do the same if and when I beat you.”

“Deal!” They shook on it and turned to the man behind the counter, who was waiting patiently.

 

Later, when they were celebrating in perhaps a more traditional manner, Will pinched her nipple and then traced a finger over her right breast. “W, T, R,” he spelled out. “One day, right here.”

“We'll see,” murmured Kathryn. She just knew that one day there would be KEJ inked darkly on his chest, and if it proved a little difficult to read through Will's pelt, she was sure she'd be able to do something about it, but for now they were ensigns, with a brand new pip for all times.


	2. Now That We Are Captains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Kathryn Janeway holds Commander Will Riker to a promise made the night they graduated from the Academy.

“They’re almost ready to launch the first of the new Intrepid class vessels.” 

That meant another message would be waiting for him, Riker supposed. He let La Forge’s voice wash over him as he considered the offer of captaincy again. He was thirty-six now, a year past his original goal of making captain by thirty-five. He caught the words ‘bio-neural circuitry’; that was cutting edge technology, but he wasn’t sure it was enough to make him give up his position on the Enterprise. He wondered briefly how many more times Starfleet would keep offering him a ship. Maybe he really should consider this one.

“The Enterprise has been ordered to ferry some of her crew out to Deep Space 9. I have several briefings to attend with Commander Sisko and the Bajoran government while the rest of you enjoy some shore leave.”

At Picard’s words, Riker frowned and shifted in his chair. Was he being ordered to captain Voyager? Why else would they send the Enterprise out with her crew? He needed to check his messages as soon as possible. The meeting had finished; this was only idle chatter, it was time they were dismissed. No sooner than he’d had that thought, Picard’s order rang out, and he hurried out of the room before anyone could detain him.

In his quarters he scanned his mail. Reminder of the poker night, roster changes, a couple of messages from friends stationed on other ships, the usual spam that still managed to get through, but there was nothing flagged Starfleet. He checked once more. He stared nonplussed at the screen. Why wasn’t there anything? As he sat there, two new messages arrived. He scowled at the advertisement for the latest in penis enhancements and savagely deleted it. At the second message he groaned. It was from Captain Kathryn Janeway.

Captain Janeway of Federation starship Voyager would meet him on DS9. They would travel to Bajor where she had located a suitable tattoo parlor. The desire to decorate and ornament one’s body in some fashion was obviously universal, even in war-ravaged places. He fingered the area just below his left collar bone through his uniform where representations of his commander’s pips were inked on his skin. They were a permanent reminder of the consequences of making promises while drunk.

He supposed things could have ended with the ensign’s pips, but he couldn’t resist having the second open pip done when he’d received his promotion to lieutenant j.g. and he’d forwarded Kathryn a couple of images of the result. Five months later, he received proof of her promotion in return. He hadn’t expected the evidence of her filled in lieutenant’s pips so soon after her earlier promotion, and he breathed a sigh of relief along with keeping the tradition going when he beat her to the ranks of lieutenant commander and commander. The years passed and he’d all but forgotten the night of their graduation and he groaned again. Now his chest was going to read ‘KEJ’ unless she was joking or he could talk her out of their bet.

 

Deep Space 9 and Bajor came into view and Riker’s hand stole to his collarbone. He fingered the area then dropped his hand back to his lap when he realized what he was doing. He had a back-up plan if _Captain_ Janeway was intent on going through with things. He suppressed a sigh; of course she would insist on going through with it. It wasn’t in her nature to back away from an essentially harmless bet, winner or loser, regardless of whether it had been made while perfectly sober or under the influence of alcohol.

She contacted him on the second day of his leave. She’d organized some personal time and would he meet her in an hour. He dressed casually and was quietly relieved to see she had as well.

“You're looking well, Captain Janeway,” he said by way of greeting.

“Oh please, Will. I'm barely used to it myself, and where we're going, captain is hardly appropriate.”

“So, Kathryn, we're really going to do this.”

“Don't think you're going to weasel out if it. I've been dreaming about this for years.”

She laughed at his indistinct grunt and something inside him clenched. Her voice had deepened a tone or two over the years and her laugh was warm and rich. She wore her experiences well, he thought. The lines at her eyes gave her face a beauty and depth of character she’d lacked at twenty-two. Kathryn Janeway, Captain Kathryn Janeway was a very desirable woman.

Cadet Kathryn Janeway was very much in evidence when she stripped off her shirt and lowered the tan cotton pants to below her hips. She tucked her camisole out of the way and arranged herself as the tattooist directed. The sprinkling of freckles across the small of her back was still there, but there was no longer any evidence of the tanned back Will remembered. Inexorably his eyes were drawn to the row three circles she’d had done in dark blue. Just as inexorably, he reached out to touch them.

“Here.” He indicated where the fourth pip should go. He didn’t want her to cover it up when it was finished.

“Now you.” Kathryn buttoned her shirt as Will slowly took off his. Her fingertips were cool on his partially hair-obscured permanent rank insignia. Three black circles were lined up below his left collar bone. Then, as she’d done fourteen years ago, she traced her initials, K E J, over his heart. “In simple, bold lettering, so there’s no mistake, don’t you agree?” He made to protest, but when she fluttered her eyelashes at him he knew she was teasing. 

She helped prepare his skin, deftly removing a large patch of hair. He protested at the amount of hair she removed, but she insisted the letters had to be of a proper size, as befitting her new status. She eyed the pink nakedness thoughtfully, and then moved so her mouth was close to his ear. In a low voice she asked, “Is there anyone who’s going to object?”

As much as he’d hoped for a way out, suddenly it was more important he went through with this. “No.” He could wait a little longer until his hair grew back before getting into a situation where explanations became necessary. “I think you timed your promotion that way on purpose. Anyway,” he took a data rod from his pocket, “I have my design here.” It was 'Plan B'. He passed it deftly to the tattooist before Kathryn could take it. 

He'd scanned some of the archeological files from worlds he'd heard Captain Picard mention as well as cultural records from Earth and then amalgamated the patterns he liked into something unique. Kathryn thought she recognized a Celtic influence in the interwoven lines as she stared over the woman's shoulder at the design on the computer screen. “I see it!” she exclaimed suddenly. “There. K, E, J,” and she ran her finger over the design. It was subtle and appropriate. It would require close observation by anyone else to detect the letters in the curlicues. She liked it.

“I’m pleased you approve,” said Will dryly, and he gave the tattooist the go-ahead.

 

“I want one last look at you.” He was blunt. 

She nodded. She wanted him one last time too. “We can go back to my rooms.” She wouldn’t take possession on her quarters on Voyager until ten hundred hours the next day.

He had her pants halfway down her thighs within minutes of her door being closed. He ignored the dimples on her buttocks as he examined the four blue solid blue circles centered between them. He pressed a kiss to each one, and then joined them with his tongue. He held her hips still as he nuzzled her back and sucked red marks of his own. He found the place that had sent shivers along her spine over a decade ago and was pleased to find it still did. She stopped pulling her shirt over her head and shuddered uncontrollably as he nipped and laved the curve of her hip. “When you make admiral...mark it here,” he said hoarsely, and bit down just back from her hip. 

“Oh, yes.” Her throaty moan worked its own magic on him and when she twisted to face him, he didn't try to restrain her any more. Instead, he rose from his knees and helped her out of the rest of her clothes before hastily stripping off his own.

The room was small so that it only took a few steps to be in the bedroom. She soon straddled him, taking her turn to examine the new lines on his skin with her fingers, lips and tongue. The woman had cleverly followed the black initials with barely-there accents in the deepest blue and green. But there were other parts of Will's body that were just as enticing if not more so now no trace of the lanky younger man remained.

When Kathryn finally rose over him, Will adroitly turned her around, and as she rode him, he kept his eyes firmly fixed on her permanent rank insignia.

 

Captain Kathryn Janeway studied Chakotay's image. When she stared at his tattoo long enough, she swore she could see stylized representations of her initials and she knew he was hers.

Less than a week later, the news filtered through to the Enterprise that Voyager had been lost in the Badlands. Riker stood in his quarters and touched his chest where the hair was growing out. He looked down and traced out K, E, J and hoped.

END


End file.
